Barack Obama is getting advice, but the VP choice needs to be his alone

James A. Johnson has something in common with Dick Cheney: each of them have run the selection process for a running mate for a presidential candidate. James A. Johnson will not have something else in common with Dick Cheney: Johnson won't pick himself.

After all, Johnson has done this twice before for former Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984 and John Kerry in 2004.

If one of the marks against Obama is a lack of Washington experience, eyes will turn to the people that surround them. Johnson is someone with experience in this process, and that will come in handy. But the choice has to ultimately rest with Obama.

How much Johnson had to do with Geraldine Ferraro or John Edwards is something we may never learn. But Ferraro had problems with her husband's background that weren't vetted. And Edwards was a great pick but Kerry never seemed to get along with him well and it showed. So it's nothing personal to Johnson, but there will be skepticism.

Johnson is doing a lot of the grunt work in the process, and that is a useful task. But a relatively inexperienced candidate needs to be seen as the one making decisions. The way Cheney "magically" ended up as Bush's running mate in 2000 was an early indicator of how Bush would make decisions.

A decision that comes from you will show off an united ticket, something the Democrats haven't had since 1996. This person you pick will likely be the next vice president of the United States, and maybe someday, president.

Whether Obama likes this or not, the way he makes this decision will speak about his leadership skills. So far, many have been impressed with the decisions he has made in this race. So far, so good. But this selection affects Obama, the perception of his leadership skills, and perhaps the future of the Democratic Party.

So Sen. Obama, let the experts help you. But make sure this decision is yours and yours alone. As Oscar Wilde once said, "The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself."

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